PEORIA — Under most circumstances, a grant proposal requiring Peoria School District 150 to provide education on birth control and to address high rates of sexually transmitted diseases among high school students would have been the hottest topic at a School Board meeting.

But the presentation on the plan at Monday’s board meeting received scant attention, overshadowed by audience concerns about the board’s plans to limit public comments to three minutes a person — and a board member’s concerns about Superintendent Grenita Lathan’s salary increase.

In the end, board member Rick Cloyd was the only member to vote against a two percent pay increase for Lathan, raising her base salary to $207,060. Board member Chris Crawford was the lone vote against a compromise that would reduce public comments from five minutes to three minutes at regular meetings.

District 150 is in line to receive a hefty five-year grant, though an amount has not been set, for comprehensive reproductive health education through the Illinois State Board of Education and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The state board designated District 150 as one of 15 high-priority school districts in the state because of STD and teen pregnancy rates that far exceed state and national rates.

Peoria County has the third highest number of gonorrhea cases in the state among 15-to-19-year-olds, with even higher prevalence in the 61603, 61604 and 61605 ZIP codes. Teen pregnancy rates in the three ZIP codes also are higher than national and state rates.

Maureen Langholf, District 150’s director of special education, laid out a time line for a long-term plan to reduce rates, beginning with revising board policy in the fall to include contraceptive information in sexual education classes. School districts that teach sex education must include information on contraceptives under a new state law. The district currently uses an abstinence-only curriculum.

Representatives from the Peoria City/County Health Department, UnityPoint Health-Methodist and Peoria County Regional Office of Education were among a number of organizations that attended the board meeting in support of the grant.

Cloyd cast a ‘no’ vote on Lathan’s salary increase after a series of audience members suggested the district’s relationships with the public had deteriorated because of Lathan’s actions and the board’s indifference, largely a reference to controversy about the district’s investigation of testing irregularities at Charter Oak Primary School.

Cloyd mentioned the district’s current deficit but added, “But even if we had not operated on a deficit, the unfortunate circumstances would have been enough for me to vote ‘no.’”

He also recommended the district do away with bonuses. The board approved a $10,000 bonus for Lathan last year, though she did not receive a salary increase.

Other board members disagreed, saying they considered other improvements throughout the district. However, several acknowledged the need to improve relationships with the public.

Pam Adams can be reached at 686-3245 or padams@pjstar.com. Follow her on Twitter @padamspam.